Arm for a chair

ABSTRACT

The invention disclosed relates to a new improved arm disposed for supporting a working surface along one side of a chair.

nited States Patent Fantoni Dec. 31, 1974 ARM FOR A CHAIR [75] Inventor:Marco Fantoni, Milan, Italy [56] References cued UNITED STATES PATENTS[73] Asslgneez Tecno S.p.A. Mobill e fornlture per arredamem Milan Italy3,586,367 6/1971 cl notta 297/162 3,598,442 8/1971 Mlller 297/162 [2211972 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [21] Appl. N0.: 317,517 599,784ll/l959 Italy 297/162 Prima Examinerlames T. McCall 30 F 1 Jan ::2 :T;Priority Data 020503472 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Kurt Kelmzm [52 US. Cl297/162, 248/200, 297/4l7 [57]. ABSTRACT 5 1 1m. (:1 A47b 39/00 Thememo" dsclosed relates a new 58 Field of Search 297/162 160 411 161disposed for Supporting a Working surface along one 297/417; 248/441,460, 38, 40, 200, 186, We of 3 205; 108/1, 50 2 Claims, 6 DrawingFigures 1 ARM FOR A CHAIR The present invention concerns an arm to beapplied to the side of chairs, easy chairs and the like, for supportinga small writing table by means of a pivot joint inclined forwardly,upwardly and outwardly so that, by a single rotation about said pivot,the table executes a double movement passing from the vertical positionat the side of the chair to a horizontal position at the front of andabove the seat and also rotating through 90 in the plane in which it iscontained to permit writing on the table itself.

The two limiting positions assumed by the table correspond to the stablepositions of the inclined pivot as stated, in the actual seat of thearm, the said rotation of which is sufficient to locate the table in astable horizontal or vehicle position, both during use and when not inuse.

The pivot arm inclined according'to the present invention minimizes thedisadvantages of conventional writing tables which are usually supportedby hinges having a horizontal axis and by pairs of vertical andhorizontal hinges which may require means for locking in position orrepresent a considerable obstacle when in a position of non-use. Y

According to the present invention, there is provided an arm to beapplied to the side of a chair or the like, for supporting a smallwriting table, in which the upper end of the arm has a bore with an axisinclined forwardly, upwardly and outwardly, said bore containing arotatable pivot connectable to the table, the axis of which assumes thesame inclines as the bore so that, by

- rotation outwardly and downwardly, the table passes from thehorizontal working position to a substantially vertical position ofnon-use.

The invention will be further illustrated, by way of example, withreference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. I is a side plan view of a chair with portions removed in which thearm of the present invention is mounted with the table in the horizontalposition of use;

FIG. 2 is a similar view to that of FIG. 1 illustrating the chair andarm with the table in the position of nonuse;

FIG. 3 is a partial side plan view relatively enlarged and showing thearm with the table in horizontal use position;

FIG. 4 is a partial rear plan view relatively enlarged and showing thearm with table in horizontal use position;

FIG. 5 is a partial top plan view relatively enlarged and showing thearm with the table in phantom horizontal use position; and

FIG. 6 is a partial top plan view relatively enlarged and showing thearm with the table in rotated non-use position.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show a chair 1 having side means for connections 2 towhich the arm 3 is applied, provided at its upper end with a writingtable 4 which may be rotated from the position of use, horizontal, asshown in FIG. 1, to the side position of non-use, as shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 3, 4 and 5, show on a magnified scale the arm alone with the tableaccording to the invention and, to a limited extent, the area forconnection to the chair, easy chair or the like.

With reference to said FIGS., the arm according to zontal portion 3a inwhich are formed bores 5 and 6 for the application of the means forsecuring to the connection 2, anda forwardly inclined arm 3b terminatingin an end 3c. This end is provided with a bore 7 the axis XX of which isinclined forwardly, as shown in FIG. 3, upwardly as shown in FIG. 4 andoutwardly on the right of the chair, as shown in FIG. 5. Rotatablewithin this bore is a pivot 8 connected to a plate 9 to which the table4 is strongly secured. The position of said pivot 8 relatively to theplate 9 is shown in said FIGS., the axis of said pivot still being theaxis XX of the bore 7 when considering the plate 9 according to thethree views shown in FIG. 3, vertical at the side in FIGS. 4, verticalon the left and in FIG. 5, from above, the pivot 8 is provided with thesame inclines of the axis XX relatively to the said three planes.

The plate 9 is'preferably arranged so as to be parallel with its ownsides at the sides 4a, 4b and 4c of the table 4.

The said table 4 has a side 4d inclined relatively to the other three,to permit writing with a sheet of paper at an incline as usual.

Inorder to pass from the position of use to that of non-use it is onlynecessary to rotate the table 4 by its own pivot 8 in the respectivebore 7 according to a rotation in space, indicated briefly by the arrowA, that is to say, outwardly and downwardly. By such a movement thetable is brought from the working position shown in FIG. 5 to theposition of non-use shown in FIG. 6, in which it is disposedsubstantially in a plane turned through relatively to the precedingplane and subsequently rotated through 90 relatively to the axis of thechair in its own plane, whereby the inclined side 4d of the table whichwas on the left in the horizontal working position (FIG. 5) is disposed,in this position of non-use, directly towards. the rear, assuming aposition substantially parallel to that of the back as may be seen fromFIG, 2.

By locating the connecting plate 9 near the sides 4a, 4b, it is alsopossible for the side 4a, which becomes the upper side when the table isin the position of non-use, to be at a sufficiently low level not toconstitute an obstacle to the arm of the person using the chair.

The values of the inclines of the axis XX relatively to the vertical,horizontal and lateral planes may be established on the basis of thetotal value of the rotation, i.e., through the initial position to thefinal position, assumed by the table. By way of example, it is possibleto indicate, by an additional rotation through planes amounting toapproximately 90 altogether, that the axis XX may assume an angle ofapproximately 32 upwardly, approximately 43 outwardly and approximately33 forwardly.

It should be understood that the details of construction of the'arm, thesupport, pivot, table and other members may be varied and adapted asrequired, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

What we claim is:

l. A chair mountable arm and writing table which comprises incombination, an arm having means for securing to the side of a chair,said arm having a forwardly inclined body member terminating in an endportion, said end portion having a bore the axis of which is inclinedforwardly, upwardly and outwardly relative to a horizontal plane, arotatable cylindrically pivot disposed within the bore, one end of saidpivot being connected to a writing table, said writing table beingpivotally rotatable backwardly, outwardly and downwardly from ahorizontal writing position to a ver- 5 outwardlytical non-use position.

1. A chair mountable arm and writing table which comprises incombination, an arm having means for securing to the side of a chair,said arm having a forwardly inclined body member terminating in an endportion, said end portion having a bore the axis of which is inclinedforwardly, upwardly and outwardly relative to a horizontal plane, arotatable cylindrically pivot disposed within the bore, one end of saidpivot being connected to a writing table, said writing table beingpivotally rotatable backwardly, outwardly and downwardly from ahorizontal writing position to a vertical non-use position.
 2. The chairmountable arm and writing table of Claim 1 wherein the axis of the boreis approximately 32* upwardly, 33* forwardly and approximately 43*outwardly.